Back In The Groove....

When you are in Haiti things that seem very odd become normal and you don't think twice about them. But, when you have been gone in the States you get used to a different normal very quickly. You forget that hot showers are wonderful, everything isn't covered in a fine layer of dust, there are no dogs barking all night long and the whole world isn't enjoying the fact that it is still almost 90 degrees everyday.

Here are few things I have been getting used to being "normal" again...

- When Parker said, "shotgun" he wasn't talking about riding in the front seat of the car, he was talking about the guards new gun laying on the dining room table while he was eating breakfast.

- Brooke's glass of "drinking" water was sitting on the desk next to the urine cups during clinic like it was no big deal. As I set my glass down next to Brooke's I began to think about just how GROSS that really was and quickly moved mine to a different spot.

- No, it is not normal to get up from a dead sleep to let Beth and Shelley in the clinic room at 10:30p.m. so they can get meds to stop contractions for a dog in labor.

- There is a shortage of gasoline and diesel in the country so the gas stations have lines that go all the way down the street. To be honest, the whole thing looks pretty intimidating. I was happy to have some diesel at the house for the generator.

- As Beth and I sat outside the little market waiting for Aghate to get a few things a real fire truck, with real fire men went speeding past us. Beth said, in twenty years she has never seen that before. I was thinking, wow, I hope they have real water!

Needless to say....getting back in the groove takes a few days!